AJC > Sports > Hawks > Blog > Archives > 2007 > April > 02 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USClarity … and so much more
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Like most people in this business, I strive to write stories that answer all your questions. My hope on a daily basis is that you don’t finish up a Hawks story with more questions than you got answers. But I realize that all of us fall short of the goal sometimes.
That’s why, in an effort to provide even more depth to the story in Monday’s paper about the Hawks’ point guard situation, I’m going to address it here again (while also reserving a little space at the end of for some of my daily ramblings about all things basketball). The point was and remains this; three veteran point guards is too many. It just doesn’t work, in any way shape or form.
So I went about asking the people involved what their thoughts were about how the whole thing will shake out. Now the responses you read were deadpan assessments from all involved - Mike Woodson’s comments regarding Speedy Claxton seemed to strike the biggest nerve with people, and for good reason. Why anyone would think Woodson would accept Claxton’s disappointing and injury-plagued season without some tough love comments for his (high-priced) free agent pickup is beyond me. I thought he was, per usual, more diplomatic than other coaches would be in a similar situation.
If anything, Woodson’s reluctance to crack guys more often has always surprised me (for example, Larry Bird routinely used the media to poke and prod his players when he coached in Indiana, as have countless others in the same situation). I think Woodson goes overboard to keep from doing that, which is an admirable trait in a coach in this day and age of players being coddled from their first day of AAU basketball.
Anyway, there’s only so much space in a given (newspaper) article for blabbermouths like me to get it all out. So here are some other comments regarding the point guard situation from some of the guys involved that didn’t make the paper:
“We have to go with the guy that … well, you have to evaluate who is more valuable and who will help you win games. That’s what it all boils down to. Healthwise, who you can you depend on? That’s the stuff that factors into the decision. But I think this summer someone will have to sit down and make those tough decisions that can help us move forward. Because we’ve got to get better at the point. Everybody knows that.” - Hawks captain Joe Johnson, when I asked how you determine which guy(s) to roll with next season.
“My knee just never allowed me to have the season I wanted to have. I’m not making an excuse, that’s just the reality of the situation. I’m trying to get it right this summer and I’m trying my best to come back and play the way I know I’m capable of playing so people can really see what I can do.” - Hawks guard Speedy Claxton on how he deals with all the drama made about him being a free agent bust.
My favorite assessment of the entire situation came from Royal Ivey, the fourth point guard on the roster and the guy who bailed the Hawks out last season by starting 66 games during the 2005-06 scramble at the point. His contract expires at the end of this season and it’s no secret that he’ll likely be moving on to another team somewhere. His perspective is as unique as it is sharp, and for the record he doesn’t think it’s as ridiculous as I do to keep three veteran point guards.
“Speedy came in and he was going to be the starter for the next few years but he was hurt. And that’s unfortunate. But he’ll be the guy at the helm next year,” Ivey said. “T. Lue has another year on his contract and so does AJ, so I expect us to keep that rotation with those three guys toting the load. Why wouldn’t we? I think with those three guys we should be fine. All three of them do very different things. And all three of them, when they’re healthy, can be extremely effective. I don’t think people should sell them short.”
Interesting. We’ll have to see how it shakes out.
Now, a few other weekend observations from the newfound center of the basketball universe that is downtown Atlanta:
I’m always cracking NBA officials for being the worst part of the NBA game, but they’ve since been surpassed as the “worst” by their college counterparts who did their very best to ruin Saturday’s national semifinals. It’s utter foolishness, some of the fouls that were called. Utter foolishness. Had I paid for one of those $2,200 tickets, I’d be asking Myles Brand for a refund.
And what’s with all the yammering about Florida being able to beat up on the NBA’s worst teams? Don’t the Gators need to beat Ohio State tonight before we crown them the one of the “greatest teams of the past 30 years?” If anyone thinks the Gators, a fine collection of guys with a true zeal for not only the game but the team aspect of the game, could whip any NBA team, they need to lay off the GATORade. Seriously.
And as much as I love watching them, I’m not as ready to anoint this Florida team as the greatest crew of the past decade, let alone the past 30 years. That’s just a huge statement when you consider the current state of the game in this country. Think hard now about the teams you’ve watched in the past and tell me if you think these Gators could handle that UNLV team from 1990, the Duke team that dethroned them a year later when they were gunning for an undefeated repeat, or the Duke team that followed up that 1991 title team with another one the next year (over my Fab Five)? And those are just four of the teams that I think would make it into the conversation involving the best teams of the past 30 years.
If you’re looking for something great to watch late night, when everyone else in the house is snoring, TiVo “The UCLA Dynasty” special on HBO. It could have been three hours long and you’d watch every drop of it. There’s jaw-dropping footage of everyone from Gail Goodrich to Marques Johnson during UCLA’s dynasty years. But if you haven’t seen high school and college footage of one Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Jr., you’re missing out on something special. When I asked a couple of the Hawks’ young players before Sunday’s game if they’d ever seen footage of the man who would become Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and they said they had not, I was heartbroken for them. I’m a history nut, not just about basketball but in general, so my affinity for black and white footage goes beyond the norm. That footage of Mr. Alcindor should be required viewing for all aspiring big men. No excuses.
Thanks to the one cat one the planet that would rock a Braves with a tuxedo, Slam Magazine’s Lang Whitaker, my day started earlier than necessary on Saturday (he did drop a new nickname on me, “Tubby Smith,” that had me laughing for a good 10 minutes). I rolled with Slang (I got jokes, too) to the adidas Nations event at Emory (after a very large cup of hot coffee from Dunkin Donuts) to catch a glimpse of the kids whose names will be on your brains in the coming years (and just to be clear, the only basketball I didn’t watch this weekend was the CYO national tournament). Some of the best rising juniors and seniors in the country were on the floor, going through drills and scrimmage work run by former NBA player and coach Paul Silas (at least someone is trying to teach the youngsters the right way). There were some notable performances, namely by Coney Island fave Lance Stephenson, who has all the prerequisite flash and swagger that comes with his basketball roots. But my favorite player there was Larry Drew Jr. The son of the Hawks assistant by the same name has sick game (wrote a story about the prodigious Drew crew during an LA trip last year). The younger Drew is one of the best ball handlers I’ve seen, at any level. It was a nice set up, I just wish I’d have known there was a 4 p.m. session as well as the morning joint.
The more I think about it, the more I’m starting to believe that LeBron James is being overlooked in the MVP race for reasons that I can’t figure out. Is there another star player in the league doing more with less help? He willed the Cavs to a win over the Bulls Saturday (which led directly to the Bulls grinding the Hawks down late Sunday). I’m just worried that we’ve become so immune to LeBron’s exploits (dude has been on TV since he was a bearded seventh grader) these days that we’re ignoring how great a season he’s having and how truly special a player he has become.
I did my Jack Bauer all over the city this weekend and I still can’t find Georgetown’s Jeff Green. That was low, but that’s another thing that’s been nagging me the past 24 hours. Green’s no-show against Ohio State was probably the most disappointing aspect of my entire weekend. I was hoping for a star-making turn. But he didn’t even show up. (big Roy Hibbert showed me chops, though, as did Mike Conley, and all the Florida boys, especially reserve big man Chris Richard, who has to get a long look from some NBA team searching for a rugged big man).
After talking with some NBA types Sunday, the consensus seems to be that Florida’s Corey Brewer was the best player in town this weekend not already on a NBA roster. I’m not kidding. Three different guys told me Sunday that everyone thinks he’s the best player in the Final Four. I disagreed of course (you take Brewer, I’ll take Oden). But I could see where his showcase in that win over UCLA would sway some people.
That’s it for now. I’ll be back during the title game with some real-time observations of what’s going on between the Buckeyes and Gators.
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Comments
By Matt - Hotlanta Hawks
April 2, 2007 7:04 AM | Link to this
I think part of the problem with Speedy is the reluctance to blame his injury for his poor play. If everyone in the organization was saying “Speedy is playing terrible basketball because his knee is hurt,” then I would be a lot more optimistic about his potential with the team next year. Since they keep saying it is not a factor, we need to take them at their word, right?
The Hawks coaching staff / front office does a horrible job of communicating on behalf of the team. Nobody on the team “tells it like it is,” and the result is an appearance that the team doesn’t care that they stink. According to them, everybody is doing their job and sometimes things don’t work out. It just so happens that things aren’t going to work out more than 50 games this season. Whatever.
If they want me to care as a fan they need to make some changes in the way they talk to the fans.
By Anakin Joe
April 2, 2007 8:16 AM | Link to this
Personally, I think Speedy in untradable, unless it is in a package deal with an ‘07 draft pick (or a highly desired player on a rookie contract). Lue, I’m guessing, has greater trade value than AJ, at the same time, he is probably the better teammates and locker room presence. I agree wit Ivey, they can co-exist until the February trade deadline when either AJ or Lue will be highly vaued as a veteran back-up PG with playoff experience and an expiring contract.
By Billy Knumbnuts
April 2, 2007 8:43 AM | Link to this
The Hawks are one of the worst franchises in professional sports for many reasons. First, they spent years under corporate ownership that didn’t care(how did that loser Babcock keep his job that long?)and now have an incompetent ownership group that has no money. The Spirit group bought a Ferrari but can’t afford to drive it. Second, they have a GM in Billy Knumbnuts that cannot build a team, identify talent, or communicate with the public. He picks Marvin & Sheldon while passing over top talent. He refuses to address the point guard position for years and when he does brings in an overpaid, beat-up Speedy Claxton. Meanwhile, Marvin becomes an average player and Sheldon looks like he should go back to the high school level for awhile. Third, Mike Woodson is not the guy and his comments recently would suggest he knows this. This team has had its struggles and injuries but it’s up to Mike to prepare his team to fight for 4 quarters. This rarely happens as the Hawks typically play well for only one half or quarter. That’s on Mike. Woody also does not have the foresight to play the right guys. Why is Solomon Jones not a starter at this point? Woody may have a touch of Bobby Cox-itas in his loyalty to play certain players whether they are hot or cold.
The Spirit need to do some housecleaning this offseason starting with Billy & Woody. Bring in a new GM that can build a TEAM and hire a coach that can motivate that TEAM. I would package Speedy & Lue in any trade possible and keep AJ as my back-up PG. Speedy & Lue are too injury prone to be counted on. Trade the M & S Williams to get a good starting PG. Use the draft to get a big center. Without a dynamic PG and a big man to control the paint, this team will go nowhere.
By honest_abe
April 2, 2007 9:24 AM | Link to this
thank you billy knumbnuts for that insightful overview of the hawks current situation…
“Without a dynamic PG and a big man to control the paint, this team will go nowhere.”
really? who knew?
By Billy Knumbnuts
April 2, 2007 9:32 AM | Link to this
honest_abe: Apparently Billy Knight hasn’t figured it out. Here’s an idea for you…..try posting something of substance versus bashing those that do.
By JohnD
April 2, 2007 9:48 AM | Link to this
Teams do not “tell it like it is” for the fans or anyone. If the truth were known about some of the players there would be no trades.
Denver traded for John Drew and then put him in rehab. The President of the Hawks then held a press conference and said, “We never knew John had a drug problem”. Everyone who believes that please raise your hand.
“Marvin is average and Shelden should go back to high school”, but follow that with “trade M & S Williams for a starting point guard”. Why would a team trade a starting PG for average and high school?
Marvin is young and has improved since last year so maybe he will continue to develop. Shelden is probably all he is going to be.
Criticism of those two picks is surely justified but do not expect a change at GM or coach until the ownership issue is settled. Mike Woodson still has one more year on his contract.
The signing of Speedy seems to make no sense. The Hawks had diligently protected their salary cap space and then over paid for damaged goods. Looks like the team took a chance and was burned. Was that a response to all the draft criticism? Could be.
The Ferrari comment may be right on target. I remember once hearing, “Anyone with a job can afford to buy a Rolls Royce but you have to be a millionaire to maintain the car after purchase”. That may be true of the Spirit group.
By MannyT
April 2, 2007 9:51 AM | Link to this
Early morning cat fight…if only there were girls and bikinis.
Back to hoops. We have to link this blog back to the one from a few days ago.
One of the PGs has to go with one of the young uns (Chills, Williams or Williams) to get a player that will both start and attract future free agents to this team.
As much as folks knock Speedy, he was about the best free agent we were really going to get last season. Sam I am, said I am not going to the ATL.
Sekou, having access and awareness of the events, is there ANY other time that is better for someone who simply likes basketball? I hope we get another final four 5-7 years from now.
By RYAN
April 2, 2007 10:00 AM | Link to this
GET RID OF THAT DRUNK MIKE WOODSON AND HIS BUDDY BILLY BECAUSE THEY DON’T KNOW WHAT THEY ARE DOING! EVERYONE TALKS ABOUT NOT HAVING A POINT GUARD WHY DON’T WE MOLD “THE SNIPER” SALIM STOUDAMIRE INTO A POINT GUARD. IF THE DRUNK WOULD PUT THE BALL IN HIS HANDS MORE I KNOW WE WOULD BE A 6 SEED. THAT YOUNG MAN CAN REALLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THIS TEAM!
By Clyde
April 2, 2007 10:18 AM | Link to this
FIRE BILLY AND WOODY
By Wedgie Evans
April 2, 2007 10:39 AM | Link to this
The Hawks should trade all three of their point guards for whatever they can get in return (2nd round picks, expiring contracts, whatever) and throw as much money as they can at Chauncey Billups or Mo Williams in free agency.
Corey Brewer’s not the best player in the Final Four, but he is the best player on the Gators. Brewer and Al Horford are the only guys on that team who are going to be able to score in the NBA.
And people need to stop wondering if the NCAA champion will beat a pro team. It ain’t happening. The NBA’s worst team, the Memphis Grizzlies, has 11 college stars on their roster (and Pau Gasol who didn’t go to college) who are all NBA-sized and have NBA experience. At best, the Gators have 5 college stars on their roster, and even that’s being generous (I don’t know if Taurean Green and Lee Humphrey can be considered stars). And none of that matters anyway, since the 2004 UConn Huskies led by Emeka Okafor (a very very rich man’s Joakim Noah) and Ben Gordon (a better scorer than anyone on the Gators) would beat Florida by 20 points.
By honest_abe
April 2, 2007 10:42 AM | Link to this
on a brighter note….
aj it looks like woody is finally listening to you. now that the hawks are mired in a 6 game losing streak. playoff chances all but dead. a 30 win season seriously in doubt. and does he start giving serious minutes to the unproven young guys este, salim, sheldon??
hell no. why do that when you can let marv, josh and chills play 39, 44, and 35 minutes respectively.
jj our iron goes down. after being overworked the entire year. still playing well into the 4th quarter in many 20 point blowouts. he’s gone. guess who’s next? the hawks next best player. time to kill jsmith in meaningless games.
i can’t completely kill the guy. his goals are much different from what’d be good for this franchise long term.. bleh
By Samuel
April 2, 2007 10:43 AM | Link to this
I think we waive Speedy. We can use those millions to sign a “Real” free agent or lock down Josh. Speedy will never be a starting point quard for a good team. He can’t shoot. I think you keep A. Johnson. He’s the best of the 4 IMO. He will be a good backup for two or three more years.
I really love that backup PG from the Raptors, Calderon. Give them Childress or Salim or even Za Za. I also like Ellis of course but he aint going no where.
Of course my ace in the whole is my boy AI,if Belkin wins in court.
Package Lue and Marvin for a legit big. Preferably an Al Jefferson(although I can’t see Boston giving him up) guy is killin since his operation. If not for my boy Monte winning “most improved”, I’d have to give it to Big AL. Also, R. Turaif or Bynum from the Lakers. Even K. Brown would be an upgrade. Waive Lo Wright and Batista.
I still think Josh can be a 4 in this league. He definately can guard any 4 and who cares about positions on offense. They say J. Richardson is on the block in Oakland. What about Marvin and Lue for J Rich.
PG- Calderon, AJ SG- JJ, Salim or Childress SF- J. Richardson, Childress, JJ, Josh PF- Josh, Sheldon, Solomon C- K Brown, Solomon
On the college tip. I also think Brewer is the best all around player right now. But you have to go with Oden at #1. You don’t pass on freaks ever.
By Anakin Joe
April 2, 2007 10:54 AM | Link to this
Samuel, you know better than that. Contracts are guaranteed, waiving Speedy only means we get the roster spot, we still would owe him roughly $17M. Do you really think that our ownership group would buy-out Speedy and then pay for another veteran? More coffee, Samuel, you’re not awake yet.
What’s all this noise about a PG and Center guaranteeing success? Again, I ask, how far are Chris Paul and Tyson Chandler going this year? How about Andre Miller and Dalembert? Bibby & Miller? Marbury & Curry? Williams and Bogut?
Hawks biggest need… A HEAD COACH!!!
But based on the comments from Levinson/Gearon, Woody has another season (at least). Not surprising as agan, they are not likely going to pay someone to leave the team.
By michael m.
April 2, 2007 11:07 AM | Link to this
samuel, this isn’t football. you don’t get to just waive a player and get out of paying him or disavow his contract from the cap. the hawks messed up by again not drafting a young stud pg to grow with the team. hopefully they correct this error with the indy pick that right now sits at #12. conley, lawson, acie law, augustine or crittenden. in that order.
and sekou, it isn’t wise to imagine our three vet pg’s staying healthy. chances are, one will always be ailing on the end of the bench. all are only good backup quality at best and, considering two of them are in the last year of their deals, lue and aj could each potentially be used as trade pieces near the deadline to contenders needing help at the point like miami was in search of this year.
By MannyT
April 2, 2007 11:10 AM | Link to this
Why, why, why do y’all continue to think free agents want to come here? (If I moved your job to a company that was not doing well would you be excited to go—I got you a gig at the New Enron. The pay is no better, but they really want you.)
A few free agents might sign up if you overpay them, but BK has shown that he does not like to overpay (Dampier, Curry). He did it for Speedy and look how it’s turned out so far. Expect BK to be extra tight with free agents until he can attract a biggie.
When he got JJ (FA to sign & trade,) he was 3rd or 4th on the PHX priority list. He was willing to pay there and it was a good idea.
No one worth taking will give ATL a discount because we are not close to a title contender.
Our best chance for an impact player is to trade for someone who has 2-3 years left on a contract. After that you might be able to get a good free agent with any cap cash that’s left.
By MsDee
April 2, 2007 11:32 AM | Link to this
1st & fourmost, Woodson should definely be gone for 2008/09 season!!
Looks like we are slowly but surely putting ourselves in a position to get Oden or Durant!!
Indy won the other day and if they continue to win while we continue to lose, we might can get Acie Law at #11
If luck fall our way like that, I say get rid of Speedy & Lue and let AJ be our back-up while Acie Law steps in as starter PG
If we get Oden, send Lo Wright out..
If we get Durant, send Marvin (Lo Wright) out for a BIG
The New Atlanta Hawks team would look like this:
PG:Acie Law & AJ S. Guard: JJ, Salim, & Chills S. Forward: Marvin, Chills P. Forward: JSmoove, Solomon, Sheldon Center: Oden, Za-Za, Batista
PG:Acie Law & AJ S. Guard: JJ, Salim, Chills S. Forward: Durant, Chills P. Forward: JSmoove, Solomon, Sheldom Center: (Marvin & Wright trade), Za-Za, Batista
What do yall think???
By Mike
April 2, 2007 12:11 PM | Link to this
There’s not a kid in this year draft that want need at leased 2 or 3 years to develop and that includes Oden and Durant. I think Oden and Durant are worthy of the top picks in the draft, and the both will be great NBA players, but it’s unreal to think they want struggle once they reach the NBA. Guys have a right to be frustrated with all the loosing, but that’s management fought. They allow BK to make the decisions he makes. Listening to the comments from Mr. Gearson in Sekou Article about three spirited years I’m not that encouraged. Mr. Gearson said they meet at the end of season and review the performance of the GM, Coach and players. Then he had the audacity to say he’s proud of the job Woody has done because Woody is more concerned with developing players than concentrating on wins and loses. Those are very contradicting statements to me. In fact I think Woodson is what’s impeding the development of the players because of his coaching style. When you have a double standard on whose gets to play, it’s inconsistent. Guys go there and play they’re butts off and Woody continues to play the same players. I think that’s the worst kind of coach for a young team. What about Salim. Solomon, Sheldon, Estaban, Royal, and Slava I guest it’s not important for those guys to get time to develop. Marvin and J-Chill are both West Coast kids if there is a deal to made where we can package one of those guys with Zaza, Sheldon, or Lorenz to get a good young quality Big or PG than I think we have to make that trade. It’s nothing wrong with trading young talent as long as you get the same in return. I think there’s a deal to made with Portland or the Lakers. I’ll take Andrew Bynum from the Lakers. I’ll take Jarret Jack or Jamal Mangalore from Portland. In terms of PG, AJ at 2.64 mil is a bargain for any team, especially the Hawks. Speedy knees will plague him the rest of his career, the same for TLue groan. It’s no way you can justify spending 10.36 mil for two players whose will be average at best the PG position and pile huge minutes on the disable list . Keep AJ for 2.64 mil and see how well he can perform with a full season with these guys, and bring in a young PG, or let AJ groom Salim for the position. In terms of who to keep between Marvin or J-Chill, I think it would behoove the Hawks to just get J-Smoove sign and see who generate the most trade buzz between those two. In terms of talent Marvin has the biggest up-side; the question is will he ever reach it. Don’t forget everybody was dogging J-Chill last season the same way they’re dogging Marvin now. I still think a coaching change is what this team needs. I think a player Like Durant will struggles in a system like Woody’s. Woody stifles these guys natural ability. They gotta play a certain way, or they’re stuck on the bench. The only hope for Woody is for the Hawks to luck out on the Oden sweepstakes or get a true center. He’s proved that he and his staff are incapable of developing an up-tempo style of play to take advantage of the youth and athleticism on this team.
By Samuel
April 2, 2007 12:21 PM | Link to this
Oh Yea, my bad.
In that case. Keep Speedy as a backup and trade Lue, Ivey and keep AJ.
We actually gave a career backup with bad knees 17 million dollars in guaranteed money. WOW.
I’ll be at the dome tonight, working the concessions(at least perputrat’in) for our Booster Club.
By Clyde
April 2, 2007 12:51 PM | Link to this
The best thing Billy could do right now is get rid of some veterans like he did when he first came here. That’s the only thing the man can do right.
FIRE BILLY AND WOODY
By doc
April 2, 2007 1:19 PM | Link to this
samuel, real consistant when you call me out for “always bringing up money” when it comes to the knicks and the sorry job isiah has done there. how long would the man running the yanks give him if isiah ran that franchise as poorly. like spending 200 mil to finish behind the tampa nothings. isaiah is a joke and the only one who hasnt found out is the guy giving him his extention. bk has done more with less and the knicks are what only 5 or so games ahead as we end the season. i guess value has to come in there when you spend and get nothing in return.
so isiah leads the league in valueless wins, he is in a league of his own. please dont think this is to defend bk but his mistakes dont compare with isiah’s. 17 mil is a drop in the bucket for him.
By Atlanta
April 2, 2007 1:30 PM | Link to this
Who cares about the Knicks? Don’t they have their own blog or something you can go tak about them on.
By doc
April 2, 2007 2:59 PM | Link to this
atl, i consider this a basketball blog first that uses the hawks as a platform and our greatest passion. we do talk about many things here beyond basketball, if that doesnt float your boat, cool, welcome your comments anyway. most of us find that we are most consistant as we agree to disagree so dive in.
By JJ
April 2, 2007 3:11 PM | Link to this
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=granderson/070402&sportCat=nba
By james
April 2, 2007 3:22 PM | Link to this
I agree with alot of people about the HAWKS.Get rid of Mike Woodson and Billy Knight.
By newkid
April 2, 2007 3:51 PM | Link to this
Thanks JJ. Entertaining piece.
By JJ
April 2, 2007 4:05 PM | Link to this
when is the ownership battle going to be over. hopefully it is b4 the drat becuz billy is going to do something stupid i can just feel it.
By CJ
April 2, 2007 6:56 PM | Link to this
Billy Knumbnuts…Hilarious name! As far as speedy I think he is untradeable too. I’m suprised the Spirit allowed BK to sign for over twice the minimum for veterans. It wouldn’t have been such a loss to sign some other free agent. But I think it is partly because the Hawks cannot attract any other free agents of considerable value and BK paniced. As good as Smith is the Hawks will have to overpay to keep him as well, most likely placing his value equivalent to an established all star.
By Bob in SF
April 2, 2007 6:57 PM | Link to this
The fact that we’re even discussing these three broken down tools as regular starting NBA PG’s points to the horrendous job BK has done. All of the Hawk veteran PG options are reserve PG’s at best for any other team in the NBA, in AJ’s case more like the third PG. There is probably no answer in free agency or a trade, guys that can make a difference as PG’s are too valuable and too rare. The Hawks need to stop trading picks in bad deals and use some of them on young PG’s to develop and groom and eventually let one take over as a starter. But then to do that you would need a coach to help a young player improve, not Woody’s strong point. In fact I think most of us are still waiting to see Woody’s strong point as a coach. Being nice to his players in the press certainly doesn’t seem to be helping win games…
By for real
April 2, 2007 7:21 PM | Link to this
If Ty Lue, Anthony Johnson, and Speedy Claxton were true starting point guards or legitimate threats in the NBA, their former NBA team would have made them starters and would have never allowed them to be released. We neeeeeeed a point guard who is quick off the dribble, a play maker, a game changer, and who is not injury prone; Lue, Claxton, and A. Johnson do not possess all these characteristics, but Dwayne Wade, Chris Paul and other point guards do. Mike Woodson is really kidding himself if he is depending on one of these point guards (Lue, Claxton, or A. Johnson) to lead our Atlanta Hawks. I will only watch the Hawks to see them fail next year if this organization does not get a point guard like Mike Conley (from Ohion State) in the 2007 NBA draft. I am tired of watching backup point guards or injury prone point guards on the Hawks team. The Hawks organization is really stupid to even trust that Speedy Claxton will be healthy next year; he never has been healthy and never will be. Claxton has been injury prone ever since he entered the NBA. Now the Hawks are stuck with him, but that does not mean they can’t draft a point guard like Mike Conley and let Claxton come off the bench. We Hawks should also try to acuire Roy Hibbert (from Georgetown) through the 2007 NBA draft by making a trade or something. Hibbert is 7’2”, a shot blocker, knows the fundamentals of the game, and has plenty of upside. I wouldn’t try to acquire Greg Oden, even if I could, because Oden has one leg that is shorter than the other which I think will hamper his development, upside, and health once he starts playing in the NBA.
By Ed W.
April 2, 2007 7:22 PM | Link to this
I thought Lue’s contract was up this year. If he has one more year, he would be the one I would trade. Speedy is untradeable right now and I think AJ’s better distributing and D fit our needs a little better right now. Plus, Lue should have some trade value. Teams like the Cavs and Lakers could use a steady PG who can shoot for 15-20 min/game.
One thing I do like about college refs, they don’t automatically call fouls on flops. I wish teh pros were a little more like them in that regard.
I don’t mind Woody not calling out players in the media as long as he is appropriately tough in privvate and with PT. Andy Reid never cricizes players in the media. It drives fans and the media crazy, but his players play hard for him.
By Atlanta
April 2, 2007 7:38 PM | Link to this
DOC, that’s cool, I just don’t like the Knicks.
By for real
April 2, 2007 7:39 PM | Link to this
Who wouldn’t want Mike Conley as their point guard. The boy has serious dribbling skills, serious quickness, and he is versatile, smart and creative. He should be available for the Hawks to draft. I am hoping the Hawks end the season with the third worst record in the NBA so they can have the opportunity to acquire him (i.e., Mike Conley). If we don’t have the 3rd worst record, we need to trade one or two of our current players to position ourselves in the 2007 Draft to acuire Mike Conley.
Until the Hawks get a point guard like Conley, their 1st round playoffs will be 3 and out, for the most part.
I just can’t understand why the Hawks’ organization keep giving large amounts of money to 2nd-rate, injury-prone players like Speedy Claxton. They made the same mistake when they signed Alan Henderson to a 6 year, 48 million dollar contract. This organization is soooooooooo stupid. They have no nack for evaluating talent or choosing the right talent at the right time.
I have never been this frustrated about the Hawks in my entire life. I don’t know what I’m going to do if I see Claxton, Lue or A. Johnson as our starting point guard next season.
By Sekou K. Smith
April 2, 2007 10:39 PM | Link to this
Conley’s coming back to earth tonight. Brewer is making it hard for me to fathom anyone else, from either team, beating him out for MOP. Noah and Horford look a little different with a manchild on the floor with them, huh? And if Chris Richard can’t play on someone’s NBA team (6-10, 275, strong as a bull) I’ll paint myself Ohio State scarlet and gray and stay tht way until the third Saturday in November.
By ray
April 2, 2007 10:47 PM | Link to this
Aw, come on Joe. You KNOW a solid pg and center equal success PROVIDED you surround them with pieces that fit. The real question would be, how does a team have success WITHOUT those two pieces (at least one of them)? And you know the answer to that. And don’t use “work in progress” teams to support your theory, man. All you did was pick the weakest teams with the center/pg combination you could think of.
And by the way, all of those teams have three things in common: they’re better balanced, have a better foundation to build on, and have a better record than us. Maybe not by a long shot, but imagine if given time, health, and adding pieces that fit…success is a lot closer for them than a group of 2s and 3s with no consistent pg play and no center to truly speak of. We still need a solid pg and center. When did anybody say that success was guaranteed immediately? Nobody I noticed…Still, I can’t argue on the points about Woody. He’s not gonna magically change his coaching style over the next year. I’d be VERY surprised if he did. And so, another year of crappy-ball.
Sam, obviously you aren’t paying attention to what keeps going on around here. Al Jefferson? In a Hawks uni? Not as long as the AFRO reigns…Point taken on Turiaf. But Bynum? Nahhh, the Lakers just ain’t that stupid.
And what is up with your KNicks? Sure Curry is killin’ on offense and the boards, but they should be at least fifth in the east! They have all the pieces….
By Sekou K. Smith
April 2, 2007 11:02 PM | Link to this
Florida’s working Ohio State over pretty good, but this coaching job by Thad Matta might be one of the worst I’ve seen in a game of this magnitude. The other Ohio State freshmen (Lighty and Cook) would seem to match up so much better against Florida’s super fast guards and wing players, yet they haven’t seen the floor.
Lee Humphrey is killing these jokers, too.
By doc
April 2, 2007 11:04 PM | Link to this
sekou, richard is a man, said in sunday’s blog that he might be the only chance at a name to get for our guys with the affection of gm’s for young unprovens to throw their dollars at. he might be the answer to the riddle as the perfect storm approaches and the hawks daont have a pick in this draft. still havent seen anyone that seems to look to have an impact next year, no roy’s in the bunch. brewer may be the guy to come in and play otherwise nada.
checked jj’s link and there it was; hawks to vegas if someone with an interest and pocketbook doesnt get interested soon.
By Sekou K. Smith
April 2, 2007 11:06 PM | Link to this
All that said, Florida is just the better team. They’re more seasoned, more balanced and they’re much better coached. It happens all the time.
Oden’s played some quality minutes, but I can’t for the life of me figure out why they haven’t gotten him at least a minute rest. Just a minute and maybe a TV timeout. Get him some water and a towel to dry his head.
And somebody needs to guard Lee Humphrey.
By Sekou K. Smith
April 2, 2007 11:16 PM | Link to this
Horford’s shown me a few more wrinkles to his game as well. I like his face up work tonight. He’s still a bit robotic and he doens’t have the kind of quick explosion that I’d want out of my young big around the basket. But he’s got some excellent skills and the strength to do battle around the basket.
Oden’s such a beast. I still can’t believe that Terwilliger dude who helped them against Georgetown hasn’t seen the floor. What is Matta thinking?
By Mike
April 2, 2007 11:57 PM | Link to this
Is there any doubt who’s your daddy in the NCAA. Oden put on one of the greatest display of power and guile you’ll see from a freshman Big. He justifies all the chatter on our blog, and everyone in the country’s blog. What a prize, and Sekou you can clearly see that Hartford is the number three guy in the draft behind Oden and Durant. Corey Brewer is probably number 5.
I hope Woody was watching the championship game. It was obvious that OU ran out of gas, because of lack of subs. You can see a lot same thing that happens to the young players of the Hawks in this game. Woody like to ride the same guys right into the ground. Do we need any more evidence why these young guys struggle closing out games? Give Oden five minutes of rest and the whole complexion of the game changes. Hats off to the Gator for a magnificent game. They had too many weapons.
By Mark
April 3, 2007 1:19 AM | Link to this
Matta must have called Rick Barnes for advice before the game. It’s amazing how the two best players in the country play for such horrible coaches. I think Oden got tired of hearing about Florida’s bigs and decided to make a statement. Keep on losing Hawks. You might have a chance at him yet!
By jhan
April 3, 2007 9:36 AM | Link to this
By for real - have you checked out the injury status of Chris Paul over the last two years? Wade has missed the last 15-20 games due to injury. I agree that we need a new PG, but don’t use those two guys as examples of players who stay healthy.
I don’t even know what to say about your Oden comment. Did you watch the game last night? I’ll take Oden over Hibbert every time!
By for real
April 3, 2007 11:10 AM | Link to this
Hey jhan, I just think we have a better chance to get Roy Hibbert and Mike Conley during the same draft. Greg Oden will not be available. I know he is good, but acquiring him is out of the question. As for D. Wade and Chris Paul, at least they are legitimate starters in the NBA before they get hurt. Speedy Claxton has always been a backup point guard. When Speedy was healthy, other teams would bring him in as a back, but when Chris Paul or Dwayne Wade is healthy, their teams always start them because they know that Wade and Paul are true game threats as soon as their feet touch the NBA floor. That is basically what I was trying to emphasize. As for Greg Oden, I know he is a beast and dominant, but I think he is going to have health issues with one leg being shorter than the other. I would draft Oden if I could, but if I could get a point guard and a center like Conley and Hibbert, or Acie Law and Hibbert, I would get two players instead of one. What do you think?
By jhan
April 3, 2007 5:14 PM | Link to this
Unless we get the #1 pick Oden will not be there. You are correct.
I would not be unhappy with a Conley/Hibbert draft. I actually would be very excited if such a thing happened.
By for real
April 3, 2007 6:09 PM | Link to this
Hey jhan! Didn’t you just hear. J. Childress is out for the remainder of the season with a stress fracture in his right foot. Although I am not rejoicing over his injury, I am glad that his absence increases our chances of having the 3rd worst record in the NBA, which will better our chances of a 1st, 2nd, or 3rd draft pick in the first round. Now Mike Woodson has no other choice but to play some of our younger players, I hope.